67: Blood and Fire Embers

The aura of Batu's fall was like a ladle of ice water poured into boiling oil, instantly shocking the entire battlefield.

High in the sky, the six Martial Kings engaged in fierce combat all froze at almost the same moment.

Looking down at the wretched state of Batu's body, which had been hacked to pieces by various blades, Wumuzha's eyes twitched violently as he shrieked a curse, "Batu! You useless trash!"

He simply could not believe that a dignified Martial King, even after a hard-fought battle and significant depletion, could actually be swarmed to death by a group of "ants" who were at most Grand Martial Masters! This was an absolute disgrace!

The expressions of the Warlord of the Canglang Tribe and Tulu also turned so dark they could drip water. They had thought that with four Martial Kings arriving together, taking Star South City was a certainty, but they hadn't expected their airborne elites to be wiped out first, and now even a Martial King had perished here!

They couldn't win four against three, and now with Batu dead, it had become three against three! The opponent also had a troublesome Mid-stage Martial King!

Looking down at the city walls again, although the defenders had suffered heavy casualties, the madness and resolve burning in the eyes of those Heavenly Origin soldiers and civilians made even them feel a trace of trepidation. The siege forces had also suffered significant losses in the previous battles; if they continued the assault, even if they could take it, the tribal sons they brought would likely be decimated to less than one in ten!

The Warlord of the Canglang Tribe's gaze swept over the dilapidated yet still standing Star South City, then looked at the ugly expressions of Wumuzha and Tulu, his mind racing with calculations. The three-month looting period promised by the Great Khan was about to expire; it wasn't worth losing his entire foundation for this tough nut of a city.

"Enough!" The Warlord of the Canglang Tribe forced City Lord back with a sudden axe strike, his voice like muffled thunder echoing across the battlefield, "Wumuzha, Tulu, retreat!"

A flash of resentment crossed Wumuzha's eyes, but looking at the corpses of his kin below and Mu Shan's steady figure, he knew the situation was untenable. With a sharp whistle, he feinted with his twin blades and withdrew.

Tulu also had no heart to continue fighting. He exchanged a blow with the Vice City Lord and used the force to retreat.

The three Barbarian Martial Kings hovered in mid-air. The Warlord of the Canglang Tribe pointed his giant axe below, his voice filled with venom: "Star South City! Remember this! For today's grudge, my Azure Wolf Tribe and the Night Hawk Tribe will surely have our revenge in the future!"

With that, the three of them stayed no longer, turning into three streaks of light and speeding toward the northern Barbarian camp.

As the Martial Kings' order to retreat was issued, the Barbarian army besieging below was confused, but military orders were absolute. Like a receding tide, they left behind a large number of corpses and siege equipment, retreating from the battlefield in a sorry state.

After a brief, dead silence—

"Long... long live!"

"We won! The barbarians are retreating!"

"Star South City held! We held it—!"

The wild joy of surviving a disaster erupted like a volcano on the city walls and in every corner of the city! The remaining defenders dropped their weapons and embraced, weeping; many collapsed directly to the ground from exhaustion, both crying and laughing.

But more than that, there were silent tears.

People looked at their fallen comrades, relatives, and neighbors around them, at the city walls and streets stained red with blood, and at their devastated homes. The joy of victory was instantly swallowed by immense sorrow.

An old soldier who had lost an arm used his remaining hand to gently close the eyes of a young comrade who refused to rest in peace. His voice was hoarse and sobbing: "Brother... brother, do you see? The barbarians... the barbarians were driven away by us... you can... rest in peace now..."

A woman searched frantically through the piles of corpses, finally clutching a mangled body wearing the City Guard uniform, letting out a heart-wrenching wail: "My man! Wake up! We won! You promised me you'd come back..."

On the streets, the surviving citizens supported each other, watching as the bodies of the soldiers who died for them were carried down one by one, watching as those lives that were vibrant yesterday became cold statistics. Everyone was in tears, silently bowing their heads. There was no clamor, only suppressed sobbing and deep grief. This victory was bought with too many lives and too much blood; it was so heavy that people could not cheer.

The three Martial Kings—City Lord, Mu Shan, and the Vice City Lord—slowly descended from the sky. Standing on the devastated city wall and looking at the scenes of mixed joy and sorrow below, their expressions were complex.

City Lord took a deep breath, suppressing his churning blood and the moisture in his eyes. His gaze fell upon the pale Qin Feng, who was being supported by Xia Xue. He walked over quickly and solemnly cupped his fists in a bow to Qin Feng.

"Young Friend Qin, if not for you turning the tide multiple times today, Star South City would have been in peril! On behalf of all the soldiers and civilians in the city, I thank you for your great kindness!"

His bow instantly attracted everyone's attention. The surviving soldiers, Martial Artists, and civilians all now knew that it was this seemingly ordinary young physician who had erupted with Grand Martial Master strength at the critical moment, slaying Barbarian elites and playing a crucial role in the battle to surround and kill the Martial King Batu!

Countless gazes of gratitude, respect, and even worship focused on Qin Feng.

Qin Feng hurriedly stepped aside to avoid the bow and offered a slight supporting gesture. "The City Lord overstates it. Defending the land and the people is only right. This Junior merely contributed a meager effort."

Just then, Chu Tianhe and Xiao Chun also rushed over. They had been in the rear treating the wounded and could hardly believe their ears when they heard the news of a Martial King being slain and the Barbarians retreating.

When they saw Qin Feng surrounded by everyone—obviously weak but with a calm expression—and the terrifying corpse of the Martial King on the ground, both master and Disciple were stunned.

"Qin Feng... you... you really..." Chu Tianhe looked at his Disciple, his heart filled with extreme complexity: pride, relief, but more so a sense of strangeness and disbelief. He had actually failed to see that a true Dragon was hidden by his side!

Xiao Chun covered her small mouth, her large eyes wide with shock. She looked at Qin Feng, then at Xia Xue, and then at the Martial King's corpse, her mind in a complete muddle. Brother Qin Feng... not only is his medical skill good, he's... he's actually this powerful? He could even participate in killing a Martial King?

Xia Xue also gave Qin Feng a solemn bow, her cool voice carrying sincere gratitude: "Young Master Qin, I will never forget your life-saving grace."

"Young Miss Summer is too polite." Qin Feng returned the gesture again, feeling exhausted in both body and mind. The side effects of the qi burst pill and the depletion from the successive fierce battles made him just want to lie down immediately.

City Lord noticed his state and said in a heavy voice, "Young Friend Qin has worked hard. Pass the order! Collect the bodies of the deceased with all our strength, bury them properly, and compensate their families! All wounded are to be treated with priority!"

He paused and looked at Qin Feng, his tone gentle yet brook no refusal: "Young Friend Qin, please be sure to rest well. Tomorrow, please grace the City Lord's Estate with your presence for a talk. I will certainly reward you handsomely!"

Qin Feng felt a slight chill in his heart, knowing that what was meant to come would eventually come. Having exposed his strength, it would likely be impossible to remain low-profile and hidden as before. The invitation to the City Lord's Estate was a gesture of thanks, but likely carried an element of investigation as well.

"The City Lord is most kind; this Junior will certainly keep the appointment tomorrow." He remained calm on the surface and accepted with cupped fists.

At this moment, he had no heart to deal with the gazes and inquiries of the crowd. He only wanted to leave as soon as possible, find a quiet place to sort out his chaotic thoughts, and consider the "lack of peace" he might face in the future.

Accompanied by Chu Tianhe and Xiao Chun, Qin Feng dragged his weary body and walked slowly toward the temporary site of the Huichun Medical Hall. Behind him was Star South City, a place of survival where cries and relief were interwoven, along with countless gazes of complex meaning fixed on his departing back.

The name of a hero had been forged, but what followed might be even greater storms and challenges.